Best Room Type at Hotel Monaco Portland for Family of 3

We at Five Star Alliance work tirelessly to ensure we bring you the best luxury hotels selection and information regarding amenities, location, and highlights so you are confident that the hotel you choose will exceed your expectations and serve your needs. Sometimes, however, you are left with a few questions that go unanswered, and that’s why we’re here. Be sure to explore our new blog series ‘Your Questions Answered’ to find answers to real questions submitted to us by our clients regarding traveling with kids, pets, the best beach hotels, and much more.

Question: We would like to stay at the Hotel Monaco Portland and our family is 2 adults and 1 13 year old child. What room type would be able to accommodate all 3 of us?

Answer: The Monaco King Suite can accommodate 2 adults and 1 child, and there would be no extra person charges. This room option has a king bed in the bedroom area and a pullout sofabed in the living room area. The bedroom and living room are separated by French doors. To make a reservation for this room type, simply visit this website, enter your dates of travel, select the 'Best Available Rate - Monaco King Suite 550 Sq Ft Mini Bar' room type, and fill in the booking form. Please be sure to add 'traveling with a 13 year old child' to the Special Requests field so the hotel can properly prepare for your arrival.

Please be advised that the rates, availability, as well as the extra person charges are subject to change depending on the hotel’s policies.

Always on the Sunny Side: Sunriver Resort Oregon

I don't get to the Pacific Northwest as much as I should like.  The quiet beauty of the temperate forests and mountain climes is as underappreciated as it is unbelievable.  And the Sunriver Resort happens to be placed smack dab in the middle of all of this awesome (in the literal sense of the word) natural architecture.  Sun sits right in the name of this resort, and for good reason.  When dusk hits, and the light begins to diffuse across the countryside, you'll swear you've been transport to another world. The mute oranges and pinks drape themselves over the rolling hills and distant mountains like a blanket ushering in the nighttime.  

You can enjoy the resplendent natural beauty of the outdoors by undertaking any of a number of activities made special by the backdrop alone.  Three championship golf courses, tennis, fly-fishing, biking: It's all available to you, and that's not even to mention the outdoor pools and rafting down the Deschutes River.  If, for you, the idea of luxury is being able to melt back into the landscape where we all came from while not sacrificing the wonders of the modern world, then Sunriver Resort is the place you should be taking a vacation.  And if you're looking for some chillier activities for the winter months, Sunriver Resort was ranked one of the Top 50 Ski Resorts in America by Conde Nast Traveler, so it's natural wonders are equally breathtaking in all weather. I might just find myself getting up on their own and taking me there soon.

The World's Best Hotels: Announcing the Fodor's 100 Hotel Awards 2011

Looking to get inspired for your next getaway? The savvy editors at Fodor's have just released their first-ever list of the world's best hotels. After careful deliberation, the team of Fodor's editors and writers curated the "Fodor's 100 Hotel Awards 2011" spanning eight hotel categories. Here's a sampling of some of our favorites that made the cut.

New & Noteworthy- The Year's Best New and Reinvented Hotels: Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, Mondrian Soho in NYC, Hotel Bel-Air & The Redbury in Los Angeles

Grande Dame- Legendary Hotels with Superlative History and Service: The Carlyle in NYC, Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris, Hotel du Russie in Rome, The Savoy in London

Casual Chic- Effortlessly Stylish Hotels with Rustic-Modern Appeal: Cavo Tagoo in Mykonos, Bardessono in Napa, The Allison in Oregon

Design- Cutting-Edge Boutique Hotels at All Price Points: Hotel Missoni in Edinburgh, Jia in Hong Kong

Local Flavor- Go-To Hotels for a Truly Authentic Experience: Fairmont Chateau Montebello in Quebec, Evason Ma'in Hot Springs and Six Senses Spa in Jordan

Clubby Atmosphere- Hip Urban Pied-à-Terres: 21C Museum Hotel in Louisville, The Liberty in Boston, The Augustine in Prague

Luxurious Retreat- Top Choices for a Complete Escape: Little Palm Island Resort and Spa in the Florida Keys, Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, Inkaterra Machu Picchu

Trusted Brand- World-Class Examples of International Hotel Chains: Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Park Hyatt Paris Vendome, The Peninsula Bangkok

Candy and Kitties: Kimpton Does Customer Service Right

Sometimes hotel news is awesome.  HotelChatter reports that a guest of the Hotel Monaco Portland wrote to jokingly request a “a bed full of puppies” and “a bathtub full of Reese’s Pieces” two weeks before his stay.  On top of this, he wished to be treated like a man “just acquitted of quintuple homicide charges.” Two weeks later he had completely forgotten, but arrived to discover a bowl of reese’s pieces atop his dresser and a hand-written note congratulating him for exonerating himself.  The Kimpton concierge wrote, "there weren't any spare puppies, but this kitten looked lonely and needed some love.  We've been calling him "Whiskers," and even threw in a $10 coupon for the minibar.

In my mind, this is what customer service should be. There’s so much effort put into standardizing across brands so people are comfortable and know what to expect, but it’s the unique experiences that really create a memorable trip. We would never go to a McDonald’s or a Subway for a gourmet meal and it’s just so with the hotel world. I’d rather have an experience tailored specifically to me than even the most luxurious industry standards. If a hotel’s staff is having fun, the guests will be, too.  So next time you book your stay at the Hotel Monaco Portland, or anywhere else, try cracking a few jokes, and who knows? You might just be rewarded for it.